Improvement in car-couplings



J. MQGEEHON. Gar Goupling.

N0. 201,312. Patehted Match26, 1878 "PETERS, PHOTG-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN MCGEEHON, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN, CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming art of Letters Patent N0. 201,812, da.ted March 26, 1878; application fi1ed February 19, 1878.

T0 all whom z't mag; concem:

Be it known that l, JOHN MCGEEHON, of Fort Wayne, in the eounty 0f Allen and. State of Indiana, have invented. a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Gouplings, whieh 1's fully M set forth in the following speeification and a0- eompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view 0f coupler attached to the end 0f 0211. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of draw-head and coupler. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through linexxin Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a vertica1 longitudinal section 0f Fig. 2.

My invention relates t0 that dass 0f earcouplers that have a (log swinging in the upper part of drawhead, whieh is pushed. back and up as the 1ink enters, and, when. the link has entered far enough, falls byits OWD. gravity, serving in place 0f the ordinar'y pin.

My invention Will first be deseribed in 0011- necti0n With the aecompanying drawing, to whi0h reference is hereto made, and then pointed out in elaim.

A represents the drawhead; B, the link; c, the gravitating-dog keyed to the holt d, f10111 Which it swings.

The entrance t0 draw-head may be 0f an1y of the ordinary shapes deemed best t0 faeilitate the reacly entrance 0f the link.

My draw-headis providedjust inside 0f the entranee and 011 the 10wer side, With guides e, whieh slope up.and back from the front a'nd round oft 011 the inner ends, as shown at e. Similar guides f are arranged 011 the upper side and 0ver the 1ower ones. The gravitati1lg-dog 0 swings down betweken the guides, aus shown; and when the strain of the draft 01' of the jerking 0f the ears is brought t0 bear 011 the (10g, it does 110t try the 100113 .d, for it has a solid rest b0th ab0ve and below.

h is a stop placed in the back 0f the chambe1' of the draw-head, and has its fr0nt side hollowed 01' eoncaved t0 receive the round. end

. 0f the 1ink.

A11 important objeet gained by making the 1ower guides e gradually sloping up and back t0 eorrespond with the s10pe given the front entrance 0f draw-head, and. then abruptly rounding oft, as shown at e, is that the 1ink may be balanced. 011 these guides, its inner end. being placed under the dog c; and 111 this position, .and by the dog being slightly raised 01' depressed, the inner end 0f link is correspondingly raised 0r lowered, thus lowering 01' elevating the outer end. 0f link and holding it 150 enter the draw-head 0f another ear, 0f 21 differ .ent height 130 that to which the link is attached. 1

T0 make this ad.vantage available, and t0 avoid. .the necessity 0f a perspn standing be- .twe en the cars to couple, I plaee a stud, z, near the side 0f the car, through Whi0h a rod, k, passes, and c0nnects with the head ofbo1t d. The end ofthe rod is bent at right angles 130 afiord. a, crank-arm, n, by grasping w hieh the gravitydog 0 may be raised t0 uncouple 01 to balance the link and. hold. it so that the unter end Will couple with another draw-head automatically.

While 110 great deviation is made from the form 01 size of draw-heads nowcomm0nlyused, (a radieal change in whieh I have sought t0 avoicl) I claim that my assemb]lage and a1- rangement 0f sloping guides above and below, am]. of gravitating-dog keyed t0 the holt, t0 whieh latter the r0d is fastened and. passed through the stud 10eated near the outer side 0f 0211, give advantages that are desirable.

It will be seen my device will eouple automatically, and may be uncoupled without the necessity of any 011e going between the cars,

thereby avoiding a fiequent cause of accidents.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, With the draw-head, of guides e on the lower side, s loping up and back fr01n entrance, with the inner endse rounding off, as shown, and. guides f 011 the upper side, and the gravitydog, arranged to swing d0Wn between the guides, and keyed t0 the holt d, t0 which the 10d k connects and. extends to the side of the ear, being supported by a stud 01 otherwise, as set forth.

JOHN MGGEEHON.

Witnesses J1 W. CLARK, J. O. CRAIG. 

